How to Write a Dissertation Introduction: What You Should Include

A dissertation is a behemoth of a task to complete. There’s so much in it that you need to tackle and sometimes the smaller things get forgotten about. But every aspect of your dissertation is just as important as the other. Even though your introduction is a small part, it makes a big difference. So follow these tips to get it just right.

Keep It Brief

Keep It Concise

Keep It Relevant

Keep It Brief

Your introduction is just a small passage at the start of your dissertation that outlines what is going to come. Your dissertation itself will delve into the broader issues and flesh out those ideas, but your introduction should be brief. You’re trying to hook your readers in and this is the first piece of your dissertation they read. So remember to fill it up with your ideas and points, but don’t flesh them out. Leave the rest of your dissertation to do that. If you go on too long, you’ll end up losing your reader’s interest, but by staying brief you captivate them.

Keep It Concise

There’s no need to go into great detail here. Yes, you’ll be mentioning key words and phrases that might seem alien to your reader, but the dissertation itself will delve into these ideas. In your introduction you need to pin point these ideas and plant the seeds into your readers mind. Don’t worry about being confusing, just make sure you touch on each issue to come a small bit. Don’t use bullet points, but do use the idea of bullet points as a way to talk about each issue. If you start with bullets you’ll know exactly what you talk about, and as you broaden these points you can get rid of the bullet marks.

Keep It Relevant

It’s easy to get lost in your intro, to ramble on for the sake of the word count. Make sure you take a note of what you need to talk about and tick them off every time you mention them. If you find yourself waffling, go back to your notes and check what the next step to talk about is. An irrelevant intro is the worst thing you can do as you’ll either leave your reader baffled or misled. So make it relevant to the dissertation.